


Reconnect

by songspinner9



Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-28
Updated: 2011-12-28
Packaged: 2017-10-28 08:56:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/306149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songspinner9/pseuds/songspinner9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Doctor disables Jack's teleport (again) at the end of "Journey's End", there's a train trip ahead that is seeming far too long to more than one person...</p><p>Spoilers for DW "Journey's End" and TW "Exit Wounds"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reconnect

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own anything or anyone related to Torchwood, despite wishful thinking. It all belongs to the BBC and to RTD.
> 
> This was a sort of experiment inspired by listening to the actors voices in Torchwood radio dramas - everything in italics is sort of a stage direction/sound direction for your imagination as you "listen" to part of a phone conversation. Constructive criticism welcomed.

“This is Torchwood...Ianto Jones speaking.”

“Ianto?"

“Jack. Oh." _a wealth of relief in his tone_ "Where are you?”

“On the train from London.”

“Seriously? On the train?”

“No more teleporting for me, at least not for a while." _huff of exasperated breath_ "And you can just wipe that smirk off your face, because I can hear it over the phone."

"Yes, sir." _the sound of a hastily smothered laugh_ "And...the train?"

"You'd think that UNIT or someone could have given me a lift back to Cardiff, but no...Don’t ask, really.”

“I won’t…I have too many other questions.”

“I know. But I promised I'd come back.”

 _a soft exhale_ “You did. And you’ll be home soon.”

“Home.” _whispered in bemused surprise_

 _formal tones not quite hiding emotions_ “When is your arrival in Cardiff, sir?”

“I, uh…hang on...I can ask someone. Excuse me? When are we due into Cardiff?” _impatient boots tapping on the floor of the train car, various muffled voices_ "About another hour and a half, Ianto."

“I'll be there, then, at the station."

"You sound like crap, Ianto."

"It's been a long day, sir. Better now I can talk to you instead of texts. Is Martha…is she all right?”

“Yeah. Just really tired. Saving the world. Again. She's with her family for a while and take care of some...some things for UNIT, and then she's coming to Cardiff for a visit, so you'll get to see her. Are you…are you and Gwen really all right?”

“We’re fine, sir. Nothing more than a few bruises from falling debris and...er, just a moment...”

“Ianto?”

 _reluctance forcing a stammer_ “Gwen n...needs to talk to you, sir.”

“Jack, thank God!”

“Told you I’d be back. Hub still in one piece?”

“A few pieces seem to be out of place, but we’ll put it to rights. Possibly after we get some sleep, though.” _faint sound of a sniffle_

“What aren't you and Ianto telling me, Gwen?"

"Only a little. But it can wait until you're here again."

 _a rather indelicate snort_ "You're a horrible liar, Gwen. Okay, make sure they know to contact you as the Torchwood liason to the city, and then go home and see Rhys. It's not as though we can deal with anything right now.”

“All right, if you’re sure. I'll set the computer to alert me to any major Rift activity. I certainly hope there isn't any for at least three days, 'cause that's how long I intend to sleep. I'm just glad you're all right, Jack. Hang on...Ianto wants the phone back."

 _soft voices in the background, reassurances given and received_

"She's left for home, Jack. I wish you were here already."

"Me, too. Can you…will you stay on the phone for a while? I want to hear your voice some more.” _unashamed pleading coming through, loud and clear_

 _a breath of amused relief_ "I was going to ask you first. I don't like being alone here, not just at the moment. Hey!"

"That didn't sound good." _puzzled tone at the sudden sounds heard over the line_ "Ianto?"

"Er, not actually alone, precisely. Our resident dinosaur's a bit upset at the moment, sir. Too many things falling and exploding for a while there and, well, the Earth being moved and all. Twice."

 _alarmed voice rising in pitch_ "Well, I...exploding?

"We're fine, Jack, remember? The Daleks found us but she kept us alive."

"They were in the Hub?! Wait, she who? Gwen?"

"Tosh."

 _hesitant worry_ "Ianto..."

 _a tired rasp of a voice_ "No, I'm all right, Jack. I don't have a concussion and I'm not hallucinating. Tosh left a program in the computer system. That thing she was working on last year - the time lock, remember? We all thought she hadn't finished it. It kicked in as soon as the Daleks broke into the Hub. Froze us into a time bubble and kept us safe, and..."

"And then we did the rest. Toshiko Sato always was a genius." _the sound of a deep, shuddering breath_ "So she was part of what we were doing to save everything after all. And so were you, Ianto. That was sort of amazing, wasn't it?"

 _clear laughter cutting through grief_ "Yeah, it was. I didn't realize what the Doctor was doing until just as I got it set up like he told us. Was that you as well?"

"All of us working together. I never imagined..." _trailing off in wonder_  
"Hang on, back up. The Daleks found the Hub? Ianto, did you know before I left?"

 _silence_

"Ianto!"

"Yes, we knew," _voice gone rough and deep_ "But we knew you had to go, yeah?"

"When?!"

"While you and Martha were fixing your teleport, we - Gwen and I - we saw the Dalek ship on the monitor change course toward the Bay, so we knew they'd found us. But Jack, if we'd told you, you would have wanted to stay to protect us and we knew you had to go. For everything, everyone."

 _silence_

 _a hushed plea_ "Jack? Please don't be angry, I couldn't..."

"No, I...yes, I am, but...both of you...I could have lost..."

"You didn't."

"No, I didn't."

"Do you understand why?"

 _softly, evenly_ "Yeah, I do. I just don't think I can even think about that when I'm not back in Cardiff yet."

"Oh."

"I'm not angry, Ianto. Not really. Just grateful."

"And I'm still here. I did tell you we'd be fine, remember?"

 _a slow breath in and then out_ "Yeah, you did."

"And you said you'd be back."

"Yeah, I did..."

"And we brought the planet home."


End file.
